Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Friday, November 13, 2009

Retrofitting existing buildings is the quickest and least expensive impact we can have on slowing climate change, according to Tom Zeller Jr. of the New York Times Green Inc. It is also a great way to save money on our energy bills. So where do we start? What can we do to make our homes more energy efficient and better for the environment and our families?

A new website,www.EnergySavvy.com, aims to help homeowners around the country who want to upgrade their homes to energy efficiency but don't know exactly where to start. EnergySavvy connects homeowners that want to make their houses more efficient to pre-screened contractors that can help them do their projects right.It also helps you find the energy rebates and tax incentives thatcan help you pay for these kind of projects, including low-interest loans.

In fact, if every owner-occupied single-family house in the U.S. redeemed their federal tax credit (just 1 of over 1000 programs nationwide) for home energy efficiency upgrades, it’d be $84 B in government stimulus – 30X the budget of the Cash for Clunkers program!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Paper or plastic? In 1999, 14 million trees were cut down to produce 10 billion paper bags for Americans. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil are used in the production of 1 billion plastic bags. In addition, each year, millions of tax dollars are spent disposing of a recycling plastic and paper bags. Instead, bring a stylish fun reusable bag, like the ones you can find on reusablebagsdepot.com. Better yet, some stores like Target, Whole Foods and CVS, give you discounts when you bring your own bag. If we use one reusable bag for a year, we eliminate the need for 1,000 plastic bags. As Heather would say, "Now that's good to know!"

Thursday, November 5, 2009

They say attendance was down, but you couldn't tell by the enthusiasm in the aisles. Engineers, shop owners, buyers and builders combed the rows of parts, girls, and cars at the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, held November 3 - November 6. Excitement carried over to the farthest corner, upstairs in the South Hall to the "Making Green Cool Zone" where eco-innovations, green automotive technology and many of the participants from the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize were on display. The "Revolution through Competition" consists of 43 teams showcasing "design-viable, clean and super-efficient cars that people will want to buy" in hopes of winning $10 million in cash and prizes.